Building Tension: Q2 & Q3 Lesson

Analyse language and structure in a summer evening extract to explore tension, atmosphere, and how writers engage readers (AQA English).

This lesson helps KS4 students develop English Language Paper 1 skills, focusing on Q2 (language analysis) and Q3 (structure analysis). Using a summer evening extract, students will explore how the writer gradually builds tension and creates atmosphere through careful choices in language and structure.
The session includes activities to:
Identify opening, middle, and ending in the extract to understand structural shifts
Analyse how focus and mood change, linking these shifts to the reader’s experience
Spot key language techniques such as similes, personification, and sensory imagery
Practice Q2 paragraphs using Point, Evidence, Explain, Zoom (PEEL)
Explore Q3 structure questions, explaining how the writer arranges the extract to build tension
Students will leave the lesson confident in reading for detail, analysing language and structure, and producing structured responses that meet AQA mark schemes for Papers 1 Q2 and Q3.